Can carrier with chime engaging tabs



1954 J. B. HIGGS ETAL CAN CARRIER WITH CHIME ENGAGING TABS Filed March 13,

wwenrg/ G fin 97155 United States Patent CAN CARRIER WITH CHIME ENGAGENG TABS Joseph B. Higgs, Arlington Heights, Richard W. Carpenter, Park Ridge, and Henry G. Van der Eb, Lake Forest, Ill assignors to Container Corporation of America, (Ihicago, Ill, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 13, 1963, Seto No. 264,791 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-40) This invention relates to paperboard carriers, and more particularly to sleeve-type, wrap-around, paperboard, carrier carton for packaging cylindrical articles such as chimed cans of the type used for beer, soft drinks, and other products.

The invention relates to improved retaining means for preventing movement of the cans within the carton.

This invention is directed to an improvement on a carton of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. Re. 25,111. In cartons of this type it is extremely desirable to provide a means for connecting the top wall of the carton to the cans of at least one of a pair of parallel rows to limit or prevent vertical movement of the cans relative to the top wall when the carton is lifted or otherwise handled.

It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide, in a carrier carton for enclosing two opposed rows of chimed cans arranged in side-byside relation, can retaining tabs adapted to project from a carton wall into the carton between a pair of cans of opposed rows and engage at least one of the cans to prevent movement of the cans relative to the carton wall.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision, in a carton of the type described, of a retaining tab having a main Section hinged to the wall of the carton and having hinged to at least one of its side edges a side section which is folded 180 into face-to-face contact with one surface of the main section and which is of lesser length than the main section whereby space between the inner surface of the carton wall and the adjacent edge of the side section can receive a portion of a can chime.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawing, wherein FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a carrier carton embodying features of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary, transverse, vertical section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary, transverse, horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of the blank that forms the carrier carton; and

FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary views corresponding to FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, but illustrating a modified form of the invention.

It will be understood that, for purposes of clarity, certain elements have been intentionally omitted from certain views where they are believed to be illustrated to better advantage in other views.

Referring now to the drawing for a better understanding of the invention, and particularly to FIGURES 1 and 4, it will be seen that a sleeve-type, open-ended, wraparound carton K embodying features of the invention is adapted to enclose two parallel rows of cylindrical articles A, such as cans having peripheral chimes C at their opposite ends. The carton may be formed from a unitary blank B of suitable sheet material, such as foldable paperboard, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

As best seen in FIGURE 1 the carton includes a pair of generally parallel, transversely spaced, vertically disposed side wall panels 10 which are interconnected by a pair of generally parallel, vertically spaced, transversely extending top and bottom walls 12 and 14, respectively which are hinged at their side edges to the upper edges of the respective side wall panels to define a tubular enclosure open at the ends.

Top wall 12 of the figure shown in FIGURE 1 preferably comprises a single panel extending completely across the carton; whereas bottom wall 12 may be formed from a pair of co-planar panels 16 having their outside edges hinged to the respective side walls and having hinged to their inner edge flanges 13 which may be connected to each other to form a complete bottom wall, in a manner described in United States Letters Patent No. Re. 25,111. It is understood that, without departing from the spirit of the present invention, a wrap-around carton could be formed with both the top and bottom walls formed of single panels, in the manner of top wall 12. p

In order to facilitate lifting or handling of the carton top wall 12 may be provided with a pair of spaced finger grip openings 21 The top and bottom Walls of the carton may also be provided with can engaging flaps 22 cut therefrom and folded back into the carton along hinge lines 24, in order to engage the can chimes and prevent the cans from moving out of the open ends of the carton, in a manner described in United States Letters Patent No. 2,846,062.

If desired, however, other means may be used for engaging the cans to prevent them from moving out of the ends of the carton. Also, the tabs of the invention hereinafter described may be employed on a carton having closed ends as Well as on an open-ended carton.

As best seen in Fl URE 4, top wall 12 has adjacent opposite ends thereof a pair of centrally disposed can retaining tabs, indicated generally at 39, cut therefrom and hinged thereto. Each tab Elli includes a main or central section having one end hinged to the panel 12 along a hinge line which is preferably disposed midway be tween the side edges of Wall 12 in parallel relation therewith.

Attached to the side edges of main section 32 are a pair of opposed side sections or Wings 36 which are hinged to main section 32 along parallel fold lines 33 extending in a directional normal to hinge lines 34.

As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 4, side sections 36 are of lesser length than main section 3e, so that when.-

they are folded into parallel, face-to-face contact with opposed surfaces of main section 32, and when the tab is folded down into the carton between a pair of cans of opposed rows, there will be provided between the inner surface of top wall panel 12 and the adjacent edges of each side section 36 an opening or space 40. The purpose of this opening is to receive a portion of chime of an adjacent can to prevent or limit vertical movement of the can relative to the top wall 12 of the carton. It will be understood that the carton may be reversed with the tabs cut from the top wall, or in the case of a carton wherein both the top and bottom walls are single panels, the tabs may be cut from each of the panels and folded to project toward each other into the carton between the rows of cans. A modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGURES 5, 6 and 7, and in these views related numerals have been used to designate elements corresponding to related elements of the earlier described embodiment.

The only difference between the embodiment of FIG- URES 57 and that of the earlier embodiment is that retaining tabs 1% are each provided with only one side section or wing 13s. In certain instances the connection between a retaining tab and one of a pair of cans in opposed rows is suflicient to prevent the carton top wall from pulling away from the cans when the carton is lifted.

We claim:

1. An open-ended, sleeve-type, wrap-around, carrier carton form-ed from a unitary blank of foldable paperboard, for enclosing two opposed rows of chimed cans 3 arranged in adjacent, parallel, side-Uy-side relation, comprising:

(a) a pair of parallel, vertically disposed, transversely spaced side wall panels; and

(b) a pair of parallel, vertically spaced top and bottom walls extending transversely between and connected at their side edges to the upper edges of respective side wall panels to define a tubular structure open at the ends;

(0) one of said walls having cut therefrom and hinged thereto a retaining tab extending into the carton between end portions of a pair of adjacent cans of opposed rows;

(d) said tab having a main section hinged to said one wall on a horizontal fold line extending longitudinally of the carton and located substantially midway between and parallel to the side edges of said one wall;

(c) said main section having hinged to its opposite side edges along substantially vertical fold lines a pair of side sections;

(f) said side sections being folded 180 into parallel, face-toiace contact with opposite surfaces of said main section;

(g) said side sections being of lesser length than said rain section to provide a space between the inner surface of said one Wall and the adjacent edges of said side sections for receiving portions of the chimes of said pair of cans to limit vertical movement of the cans relative to said one wall.

2. A sleeve-type, carrier carton formed from foldable paperboard, for enclosing two opposed rows of chimed 4 cans arranged in adjacent, parallel, sideby-side relation, comprising:

(a) a pair or vertically disposed, transversely spaced side wall panels; and

(b) a pan of vertically spaced top and bottom walls extending transversely between and connected to respective side Wall panels to define a tubular structure;

(c) one of said Walls having a retaining tab extending therefrom into the carton between end portions of a pair of adjacent cans of opposed rows;

((1) said tab having a main section hinged to said one wall on a horizontal fold line extending longitudinally of the carton and located substantially midway between the side edges of said one wall;

(e) said main section having hinged to one side edge along a substantially vertical fold line a side section;

( said side section being folded 180 into parallel, face-to-face contact with one surface of said main section;

(g) at least a part of said side section being of lesser length than said main section to provide a space between the inner surface of said one wall and the adjacent edge of said side section for receiving a portion of the chime of one of said pair of cans to limit vertical movement of the can relative to said one wall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. AN OPEN-ENDED, SLEEVE-TYPE, WRAP-AROUND, CARRIER CARTON FORMED FROM A UNITARY BLANK OF FOLDABLE PAPERBOARD, FOR ENCLOSING TWO OPPOSED ROWS OF CHIMED CANS ARRANGED IN ADJACENT, PARALLEL, SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION, COMPRISING: (A) A PAIR OF PARALLEL, VERTICALLY DISPOSED, TRANSVERSELY SPACED SIDE WALL PANELS; AND (B) A PAIR OF PARALLEL, VERTICALLY SPACED TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY BETWEEN AND CONNECTED AT THEIR SIDE EDGES TO THE UPPER EDGES OF RESPECTIVE SIDE WALL PANELS TO DEFINE A TUBULAR STRUCTURE OPEN AT THE ENDS; (C) ONE OF SAID WALLS HAVING CUT THEREFROM AND HINGED THERETO A RETAINING TAB EXTENDING INTO THE CARTON BETWEEN END PORTIONS OF A PAIR OF ADJACENT CANS OF OPPOSED ROWS; (D) SAID TAB HAVING A MAIN SECTION HINGED TO SAID ONE WALL ON A HORIZONTAL FOLD LINE EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF THE CARTON AND LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN AND PARALLEL TO THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID ONE WALL; 